Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of preferential capital allowances for wheelchair accessible caravans on the number of such caravans produced; and if he will discuss such allowances with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
DWP has made no assessment. Tax policy, such as capital allowances, is a matter for HMT.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to retain the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 following the passage of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill; and if he will hold discussions with industry representatives on the potential merits of retaining these regulations.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With the introduction of the REUL Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world.
HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards. HSE will engage with stakeholders as appropriate.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his Department's policy to retain the protections of the Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/341) following the UK's exit from the EU; and if his Department will meet with industry representatives to discuss that matter.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With the introduction of the REUL Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world.
HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards. HSE will engage with stakeholders as appropriate.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will meet with industry representatives to discuss the potential merits of retaining the protections provided by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/3242) following the UK's exit from the EU.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With the introduction of the REUL Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world.
HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards. HSE will engage with stakeholders as appropriate.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his Department's policy to maintain the protections provided by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 (S.I. 1981/917) following the UK's exit from the EU; and if his Department will meet industry representatives to discuss that matter.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With the introduction of the REUL Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world.
HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards. HSE will engage with stakeholders as appropriate.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has provided to the Money and Pensions Advice Service for debt advice services in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial year; and what estimate he has made of the level of demand for these services in the same period.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Money and Pensions Service’s (MaPS) 2022-23 debt advice budget was £91.4m, with the majority of those funds allocated to free-to-client frontline debt advice delivery in England. MaPS’ 2023-24 debt advice budget will be communicated through the Financial Conduct Authority’s consultation, due to be published in April.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria the Money and Pensions Service plans to apply to new contracts on debt advice to assess the outcomes of individual advice sessions; how those outcomes will be recorded; and whether it plans to use that information to inform future decision-making.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Money and Pensions Service’s Debt Advice Evaluation Research (Voice of the Customer) programme tracks the experiences of customers using its debt services from beginning to end via an outcomes survey. Participation is mandatory for suppliers and output forms overall performance monitoring and management. Insight gathered will support the evidence base for future debt advice commissioning.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications to the Access to Work Scheme have not been processed as of 9 March 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
At close of business on 9 March 2023, there are 7,235 applications in progress and 17,190 applications awaiting progression.
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of removing the need for an Access to Work renewal when support needs remain unchanged.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
My department is working to transform the Access to Work service to improve the customer experience and reduce bureaucracy by creating a modern, efficient and more digital service for disabled people. As you would expect, this work, which is ongoing, involves keeping all existing processes under review, including the renewal journey. This includes reflecting on lessons learned from the Covid 19 easements.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided to assist Personal Independence Payment assessors making decisions on a person with Huntington's disease; and if he will publish a copy of that guidance.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment considers the impact of all conditions on an individual’s ability to live independently, not just the nature and severity of their impairment. The role of the assessment provider (AP) is to provide independent advice against a series of activities set out in legislation and devised by the department. The decision on benefit entitlement rests with the DWP, not the AP.
The department has not specified that APs employ health professionals (HPs) who are specialists in specific conditions or impairments. Instead, the emphasis is on ensuring they are experts in disability analysis, focusing on the effects of health conditions and impairments on the individual’s daily life. All PIP HPs have access to a Condition Insight Report (CIR) on Huntington’s disease, compiled in collaboration with the Huntington’s Disease Association.
We have no plans to publish this guidance as it is intended for internal use only.